Toilet tank flush valve



Jan. 7, 1969 f F. w. KERTELL 3,419,912

TOILET TANK FLUSH VALVE Filed Feb..14i. 196e I 6 /A/vs/vro/P y l FRANKu. KERTELL BY Jan- 7, 1969 F. w. KERTELI.

TOILET TANK FLUSH VALVE Sheet Filed Feb. 14, 1966 United States Patent O3,419,912 TOILET TANK FLUSH VALVE Frank W. Kertell, Santa Cruz, Calif.,assignor of one-half to Brooks Walker, Sau Francisco, Calif. Filed Feb.14, 1966, Ser. No. 527,313 U.S. Cl. 4-58 3 Claims Int. Cl. E03d J /14ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE This invention pertains to a toilet flushvalve applicable to toilets with tanks to store the flushing water.

My U.S. application, Ser. No. 492,524, entitled Two Volume Flush Valve,covers a two volume flush valve with a lesser volume released to thetoilet when the handle is turned one way and released over the volumereleased when the handle is tripped in the opposite direction by the useof two separate floats.

This application uses the regular oat valve to control the `flow ofwater from the main to the reservoir and the same lioat is used tocontrol the reduced volume release to the toilet when the trip handle isturned in one direction by tripping the dump valve by the Weight of themain lioat and supporting rod.

Another feature of this application involves a simple mechanism thatemploys the main float that controls t`ne water flow to the tank fromthe water pressure source and also uses the same 'float and associatedparts to trip the tilt up type valve that controls the flow from thetank to the toilet.

Another feature involves the weight of the main float to trip theconventional ball dump valve closed at part tank volume flush withoutholding the trip handle tripped.

Another feature of this invention uses the conventional single triphandle on the tank with simple modifications to the added mechanism thatintercepts the rod of the main float valve and supporting arm to tilt upthe tilted V liow such as 11/2 gallons vs. 31/2 to 5 gallons on a fullflush Y when the tilt up valve is not tripped by the action of the rnainfloat arm and stays open until the liquid level in the tank is almost atthe bottom of the tank when the water in the past center bucket of thetilt up valve runs out the port and the tilt up valve tilts back andcloses.

Another feature of this invention uses conventional tanks, tilt up owcontrol valves, inlet valves, float and arm to control the water inletvalve and conventional trip handle with some added parts in the tank thecause the intercept of the main float and arm to close the tilt up dumpvalve when the trip handle is tripped in one direction but not tointercept when the trip lever is tripped in the other direction.

Another feature is the mechanism on the inside of the tank modified sothat the arm that tilts up the tilt flow control valve at the bottom ofthe tank is lifed to tilt back the tilt valve to Idump water to the bowlwhen the trip ICC handle on the outside of the tank is turned clockwiseor counter-clockwise.

Another feature of this invention is the auxiliary mechanism that shiftsa link under the main float arm` only when the outside trip lever ismoved counter-clockwise so that before the main float reaches itslimited motion (much less than the travel of the surface of the water inthe tank between full and normal full flush). The tilt up dump valve istilted back to closed position. This is accomplished by the link thathas been shifted under the main float arm by the trip handle and therebypicks up motion from the main -iioat arm and transmits it to the tilt upvalve and causes it to trip closed while the water in the tank is wellabove the top of the tilt up valve and its counter-balance water cups.This would cause the tilt up valve to close after passing about 11/2gallons while a full ush might be 31/2 to 5 gallons as controlled by thesame outside trip handle when turned clockwise.

Another feature is the means by which a conventional tank toilet triphandle can control the discharge of two different volumes of flow fromthe tank to the toilet depending on which direction the trip handle isrotated by the use of the motion of the main float and supporting arm,without having to hold said handle in the partial ush trip position.

Another feature is the use of a simple trip lever and the use of themotion of the float to control a two volume selective discharge by theuse of a conventional ball dump valve, without having to hold the triphandle in the partial flush position after tripping said handle.

Another feature is that once tripped, the trip lever can be released andneed not be held in tripped position to control said different ows.

Another feature is the saving of cost and parts by using only the mainfloat and arm instead of the second float required in said otherapplication of Frank W. Kertell, Ser. No. 492,524, entitled Two VolumeFlush Valve, filed Oct. 4, 1965.

Other objects will be pointed out in the accompanying specification andclaims.

I have iliustrated our invention by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation .partly in section of one form of ourinvention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view partly in section of the tripmechanism of FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section through 3 3 of FIG. l.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the shift link of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the structure shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation partly in section showing the tip up outletvalve in the closed position.

FIG. 7 is a plan view -of another form of the invention using a balltype dump valve rather than the tip up valve of FIG. 1 through FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a side view partly in section of the structure shown in FIG. 7taken at section 8 8.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional View of the lever shifting mechanism.

In all figures like numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts.

In FIGS. l, 2, 3, 4, and 5 I have shown a tank 10 `with a cover 11.Inside the tank is a water inlet valve 15 which is controlled by lever16 pivoted at 17 with stop 18 and actuated by float 21 and rod 20. Anauxiliary weight, such as 22, may be added if necessary for theoperation of this invention.

A trip lever 25 is supported on shaft 26 which is rotatably supported insleeve 27. Sleeve 27 is secured to tank 10 'by nut 2S. Nut 28 alsosupports bracket 40 which has pivots 41 and 42 to support one end of arm43. The

outer end of arm 43 is secured to flexible strap 44 which is secured toextension 50a of tip up dump valve 50. Tip up valve has two cups-one,54, on the right, as viewed in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6, and a rear cup S5 witha sloping wall to the left with a bleed hole 56 to allow cup 55 to drainslowly after the water in tank has fallen below the top lip of cup 55,to allow tip up valve 50 to close after the water has almost flowed outof tank 10 on a full liush.

Cam 30 is connected to trip arm 25 by shaft 26 and has three ends-30a,30h and 30C. Arm 43, as stated, is pivoted at pins 41 and 42 to bracket40. Arm 43 rests on ends 30a and 30C of cam 30 so that when trip lever25 is tripped up or down (clockwise or counterclockwise, as viewed inFIGS. 2 and 3), lever 43 will be raised and through strap 44 will tiltvalve 50 to the dump position shown in FIG. 1 with water flowing fromtank 10 to pipe 62 which leads to the toilet bowl not shown throughiitting 60. Fitting 60 is secured to tank 10 by nut 61. Fitting 60supports arms 63 which support pivot pins 51 that form the pivot fortilt up valve 50.

Shift lever 70 is pivoted at pin 71 to bracket 40 at exten-sion 40a. End70a supports trip rod 75, the lower end of which rests in cup 54 and thelooped end 75b passes through a hole and slot in the end 70a of shiftlever 70. End 75a is held in position fore and aft, as viewed in FIG. 5,by shift lever 70. When trip lever 25 is rotated in one direction, valve50 will be tilted back and cam end 30h moves shift levercounterclockwise, as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 5, to cause end 75a of rod 75to move under rod that is attached to float 21. In this position, aswater ows past tilted valve 50 and oat 21 lowers to the position shownin FIG. 6, arm 20 will cause rod 75 to move down tilting valve 50 closedat about the position of the water in tank 10, as shown in FIG. 6. Thisis due to the intercept of rod 20 with end 75a of rod 7S as controlledby shift lever 70 as controlled by cam end 30h when trip lever 25 israised.

Shift lever 70 will stay in this partial iiush position by friction ofbearing 71 until shifted to the neutral full Hush position of end 75a,being out of the path of motion of float rod 20 when lever 25 is moveddown so cam end 30b moves against shift lever portion 70b. Frictionagain holds shift lever 70 in this full ush position until cam end 30hmoves to the right, as viewed in FIG. 4, when cam end 3017 and end 70Ccauses shift lever 76 to move to the partial flush position shown dottedin FIG. 4.

When trip lever is lowered, arm 43 will be moved up by Acam C to tiltvalve 50 to the dump position. Shift lever will stay in the neutralposition, as shown in FIG. 4, with end 75a out of the path of rod 20that supports float 21 so that float arm 20 and rod 75 will not triptilt up valve 50. Valve 50 will stay open until the water in cup 55drains out through port 56 to allow valve 50 to close.

Shift lever 70 will stay in the `full flush position after trip handle25 is lowered or in the part Hush position after the trip valve 25 israised, as shown in FIG. 4 dotted or FIG. 6, without holding the lever25 in either position, due to the friction of the support of shift lever70, as previously stated.

In FIGS. 7 and 8 the trip handle 80 is mounted on the front of the tank10 under the edge of cover 11. Handle 80 is supported by bearing 81which is secured to tank 9 by nut 82 which also supports and positionsbracket 85 which carries pivot 86 on which shift lever 87 pivotsQCamfinger 88 extends downwardly into cam slot 90. Slot 90 is so formed thatwhen lever 80 is raised, as shown in FIG. 7, or moves clockwise, asviewed in FIG. 8, cam finger 88 will move to the left in FIGS. 7 and 8and shift lever 87 will stay in full flush position so that arm 20 willnot intercept end 92a of rod 92 for a full flush operation.

It lever 80 is moved down, as viewed in FIG. 7, or

counter-clockwise, as viewed in FIG. 8, cam linger 88 will move to theright, as viewed in FIGS. 7 and 8 and cam slot 90 will cause shift lever87 to rotate counterclockwise slightly so that rod end 92a is movedunder the float rod 20. In this position oat 21 and rod 20 will causerod 92 to move down and through looped end 92b cause float ball valve100 to sink and seat when the water has reached about the level shown inFIG. 8.

If trip lever 80 is moved up, float ball valve 100 will not seat untilthe water level is near the top of float valve 100 when the suction ofwater running out will cause it to sink and shut off the flow from thetank. Handle 80 does not need to be held in either position toaccomplish a full or part flush due to the friction in the support ofshift lever 87. Cam 95 operates on cam slot 96 of trip arm 97 whichthrough rod 98 and oat ball rod 99 will rai-se oat 100 to start a fullush when lever 80 is raised or a part flush when lever 80 is lowered.

I have illustrated my invention in these various forms; however, manyother variations may be possible within the scope of this invention.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates many changesin construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of theinvention will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention. The disclosures and description herein arepurely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

I claim as my invention:

l. A tank of the yclass described, having in combination: an inlet valvefor controlling the flow of fluid into the tank, an outlet valve forcontrolling the flow of fluid from the tank, oscillation oat means foroperating the inlet valve in accordance with the level of the water inthe tank, and means carried by the outlet valve and selectivelyshiftable into the plane of oscillation of the float means fortransferring suieient Weight from the float means to the outlet valve toclose said outlet valve.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein the means carried by the valvecomprises a rod having one end in bearing engagement with the outletvalve and a lateral extension at the other end for engagement with theoat means.

3. A device as defined in claim 2 wherein the means for shifting the rodand extension comprises a lever, means pivotally mounting the lever inthe tank, cam means for pivoting the lever, and a handle connected tothe cam means and outlet valve for Opening said valve and for movingsaid cam means in one direction to shift the said lateral extension intothe plane of oscillation and for moving the cam means in the oppositedirection to shift said lateral extension away from said plane ofoscillation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 638,740 12/1899 Morrison 4-411,053,303 2/1913 Lawrenz 4-41 1,134,234 4/1915 Schonmeyer 4-41 1,381,7106/1921 Krantz et al. 4-41 1,429,304 9/1922 Tilden 4-41 1,960,864 5/1934Brown 4-37 1,963,211 6/1934 Patterson 4-37 2,106,916 2/1938 Morkisch4-37 2,655,665 10/1953 Agnew 4-41 2,685,694 8/1954 Allison 4-372,732,562 1/1956 Conte 4-41 3,003,156 10/1961 Alexander 4-60 FOREIGNPATENTS 34,740 7/ 1925 Denmark.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

D. MASSENBERG, Assistant Examiner.

